“The United States is deeply troubled by the Georgian Parliament’s July 12 approval of six Supreme Court nominees, in contravention of the April 19 agreement between ruling and opposition party representatives,” the US Department of State said in a press statement.

“Mediated by the EU and the United States under the auspices of European Council President Charles Michel, the April 19 agreement committed the signatories to pause “all ongoing appointments” to the Supreme Court until passage of “ambitious judicial reform” in a broad, inclusive, and multiparty reform process.

We urge Georgia’s authorities to implement the April 19 agreement, including by suspending Supreme Court appointments pending comprehensive, transparent, and inclusive judicial reform.  This is what Georgia’s political leaders, including the ruling party, agreed to do.

Failure to do so would further undermine the Georgian public’s and international community’s confidence in Georgia’s judiciary and risk undermining Georgia’s democratic development.  Incomplete implementation of the April 19 agreement could also weaken investor confidence and diminish the resilience of Georgia’s political and social institutions.

The United States calls on Georgian authorities to restore their commitment to democratic principles and the rule of law while reinvigorating their partnership with the United States and international community,” reads the statement.

Georgian Parliament approved six of nine Supreme Court judges during an extraordinary session on July 12, 2021.

Georgia’s Supreme Court nominations triggered backlashes from the international community, “as it took place in an environment where there is a lack of public trust in the independence of the judiciary,” OSCE’s recent report reads.